FATE AND FATELESS
by The Sea Fox
Summary: Two souls, one fated to change the world, the other with no fate at all. So how did these two fall in love? Geralt will never know
1. Chapter 1

"She really does like him," Yennefer said, sprawled on her couch in their bedchamber, reading another of her books.

" _Grunt_." Was Geralt's only reply as he stared in the mirror, putting on his cloths for the day.

"And he seems to really like her. A lot."

" _Groan_."

"And I must say, he is quit an interesting man, very kind and polite, and a skilled warrior. I can see why she's drawn to him."

" _Gruff_."

"And I'm sure he will be good to her and protect her forever."

"Grrr."

A smirk touched her lips. "I wonder what their children will look like."

She saw him give a rather nasty look that she did not like, then he went back to the mirror, finishing with the clothing's straps.

She slid off the couch to her feet, looking at him. "And yet you still don't like him."

He gave another grunt. "It's not that I don't like him, it's that I don't like him with _her_."

She approached him and stood by his side. "She's not your little girl anymore. She's a young woman now and she can love who she wants."

"I know that," said Geralt. "Just why did it have to be…him."

Yen sighed. "Just what is it you have against him? He's a good man."

'That's just the problem." He faced her. "He's not a man, he's a…"

"An undead?"

"A dame zombie!" He looked away from her, brooding.

Yen was quiet for a moment, then placed her soft hand on his strong shoulder and turned him to look at her. "He may be undead, but he is far from a zombie. And frankly, I find him livelier than most people that are alive."

"He is now," Geralt agreed. "But what about tomorrow. How do we now he won't become…" What was that term he used? "Hollow?"

"He won't," she assured him. "As long as he takes her blood he will not turn."

"Yes, as _long_ as he takes her blood, she's safe." Geralt

Yennefer blinked her dark eyes. "Is that why you don't trust him. You think he's only with her so he can have her blood?"

He turned his eyes away. "It's not just that."

"Then what?"

He faced her. "What if he does turn? What if he cannot control himself and he attacks her?"

Yen was starting to understand. "You're afraid that if he does become Hollow, she will have to strike him down."

"No. I'm afraid that if the times comes, she won't be able to," he said, sounding so helpless.

Yen now smiled as she saw that Geralt was just being concerned for his daughter, like a father should be.

She said in her smooth as silk voice. "I understand Geralt that you're worried for her, I know you love, and so do I. But this is her choice, and we have to learn to trust her to make the right decision, even if we don't like it ourselves."

Geralt knew what she said was true, yet he still could not help feel uncomfortable about it all. "I'm going to go check on the Vesemir."

He walked out the chamber door, leaving Yen standing there. She shook her head at the arrogance and pride of men, then wen t back to her couch and book.

…

Geralt headed down the stairs of the fortress Kaer Morrthen, the ancient training keep for witcher's long ago. He entered the keeps library.

He found only Vesemir inside the room though. The old witcher was standing by the open window and staring out it, down at the keep's grounds. Geralt only took a step towards him when the old witcher heard him coming and faced him.

"Well, good morning Sleeping Beauty. Nice to see you have finally awaken."

Geralt brushed of the taunt. "Vesemir," he greeted. He joined him at the window to see what the man was looking at. Several witcher's in training were practicing their swordsmanship in the keep's training grounds.

However, the one student Geralt was looking for was not among them. Usually Ciri was either training none stop all day unless Vesemir was forcing another of his books upon her.

But since she wasn't in the library or in the training grounds, Geralt had no idea where she was. He looked to his teacher. "Where's Ciri?"

Vesemir took his time to answer and Geralt saw a slight smile beneath his beard. "She's training outside the keep, up on the mountains."

"Outside?" Geralt knew how dangerous it was in the wild lands. "Alone?"

"Of course not. She has a training partner with her."

"Training partner? Who?"

Vesemir stared at him dumbly. "Who do you think?"

Geralt felt his witcher blood begin to boil. "And you just let her?"

Vesemir held his arms apart. "What was I supposed to do?" He saw the anger in Geralt's eyes, and rolled his. "Will to stop your worrying, your acting like an old woman with her grandchildren. She'll be fine. And even if they do run into trouble, _He_ will protect her."

Great clinched his jaw. "That's not what I worried about." He headed for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Vesemir called after him.

"Where do you think?" Geralt was going to make sure Ciri, his ward, his daughter, the most precious thing he ever had in his blood soaked life, was safe from that…thing. That abomination of life. That undead creature. That Hollow

Oscar of Astora


	2. Chapter 2

"You're holding back," Ciri said yet again to her training partner, her fellow warrior, her guardian, her friend in this world of enemies.

Her lover.

"No I'm not," Oscar replied yet again, his voice vibrating inside his helm that he insisted on wearing as they trained.

He always wore that helm, except when Ciri forced him to take it off. He had it on when she first found him during one of her adventures.

He had been sitting at a bonfire in the middle of a dark forest, alone and waiting, as if he knew she would come, dressed in full armor from a kingdom she never heard about. When she appeared, he offered her to sit at the fire with him. She did, and the two talked briefly and got to know one another.

After that, the two became companions and friends, traveling and having many adventures together.

Yet, he continued to always wear his helm and armor, never taking it off, leaving Ciri to only know there was even a man beneath all that steel by his voice and deeds.

His voice, so calm and quiet, so noble, when he talked it carried a chivalrous tune. It was the first thing about him she fell in love with.

And his deeds, he was never far from her side, and never seem to do anything for himself, always for her or someone else, always so selfless.

And when the time came when he finally gathered his courage to tell her the truth about what he really was, an undead, he then begged that he may drink her blood to save his humanity and not go Hollow.

And she did. She gave her blood, freely, without a second thought to save her friend.

It was also then that Oscar of Astora pledged his allegiance to her and swore he would always protect her, bowing to her, on his knees, like a knight to his lady in a storybook.

That was how he had always made her feel like, a lady in a storybook. Not one of those weak and pathetic ladies who needs a man to save her, but someone so special and beautiful for just being who she was, a brave and strong warrior, yet still a girl with wants and desires, and hopes for the future, and Oscar loved her for that. He made her feel like happy endings where possible.

And when the day came, when he was gravely wounded and she took off his helm to heal him, she saw his face for the first time. And was completely taken in by his strong and smooth features under his fine light brown hair. The second time she saw that face she kissed it.

"Yes you are." She only wore padding over her white loose shirt and darks pants, allowing her to move freely and quick.

She dashed and darted about Oscar as they trained up there near the mountain top, on the hard ground, beneath the shade of a large pine tree.

Since Oscar was in full armor, he took a more solid stance and turned in circles to keep Ciri within his sights as she tried to come around him, trying to get at his flanks.

He had asked to use wooded swords, to avoid harming each other, but Ciri told him that they would use the swords they fought with. Which was probably why he was holding back.

"Come on, fight me."

Ciri lunged straight at him and brought her sword down. Oscar brought his sword up to block it, but the clash of steel was so great he staggered back from it.

He stood there looking down at her through his helm's vision. She held her sword low, breathing hard, starting to get very annoyed. Oscar did not advance on her.

Ciri gave up. "Fine, if you won't go full force, then I'll make you!"

She rushed straight at him again, Oscar leveled his sword into a guard. She lunged, he readied…then she disappeared in a flash of green light.

Oscar knew what that was, her teleportation ability, and as quickly as he could in his amour he turned to face behind him. But he was not fast enough and her sword's blade clanked against his helm. His head rolled back from the blow. When he looked back at her she was just standing there, a determined look on her face.

She teleported again and Oscar turned right, hoping that was where she would appear, and felt her sword his strike his left.

It went on like this. She'd appear then strike, appear then strike, appear and double strike. And Oscar's movements could not seem to follow. But Ciri knew why.

"Will you just fight me already?"

"I do not want to hurt you." He finally said.

Ciri pursed her lips. "Do it! I command you to!"

She teleported right above him in the air, and as she descended her sword sliced downward right for his helm, about to split it in half.

Oscar stopped the blade with his gauntlet hand, catching it between his fingers. The movement had been so fast even she was surprised. Their faces met, her eyes against his visor. With his other hand that held his sword, he cut horizontally for her midsection. She had to teleport backwards to prevent her innards from spilling out.

She looked at him, he gripped his sword din both hands, legs bent, shoulders ready. Ciri smiled.

He charged at her, an unstoppable force of steel and will.

She couldn't block all that so she had to stick to speed, evasiveness and deflection tactics to avoid his relentless attacks, his body never stop moving, his sword in constant motion.

The whole mountain now rung with the music their two swords made, with her high cries and his low grunts.

He swung in an arc, she teleported to his side and came at him before he could bring his sword back. So instead, he backhanded her in the face.

She reeled back, literally off her feet. She hit the back of the tree, dazed, tasting her blood on her lips. She looked up, saw him coming, sword held high. She waited till the last second.

He swung the sword down and she teleported far behind him. But she saw him carry through with the swing and cut cleanly through the whole tree. Its structure swayed, then fell on its side to the rocky ground.

Ciri swore. No matter how many times she saw it, she was still amazed by his sheer power and strength. And yet he was still a gentle knight.

Oscar stood up straight, turned to slowly to face her, waiting for her to make the next move. She smiled. This wasn't over yet. They charged.

The fighting ended less than a minute later, with both their sword swinging at such speed then stopping at each other's neck. They both were breathing hard.

"Truce?" she gasped.

Oscar nodded. "Truce."

They both sheathed their swords. Ciri then walked to where their horses stood, waiting at a safe distance, and took a leather bottle of water and drank form it, while Oscar could only watched.

As an undead, he never needed water, food, or rest. He couldn't even remember what that felt like. When Ciri ate, he waited by her, when she slept, he stood guard over her. Whenever Oscar and Ciri slept _together_ he would lay there on the bed and hold her soft, almost fragile, body in his arms, listening to her breathing, feeling the rhythm of her chest rising and falling. He never got tired of it.

When she finished drinking, she look at him, and it was then he saw the trickle of blood from her lips when he hit her.

"You're hurt." He said, slight fear in his noble voice.

She wiped the blood with her wrist. "It's nothing."

"You should heal it with your magic." He insisted.

"Actually," she then said, rather coyly. "Why not you drink it?" She offered it to him.

He stopped, hesitant. His head and body lowered, his armor clinging as he did so. "Perhaps later."

Ciri frowned. Wondering why he always was reluctant to drink her blood. Was it not the only way to keep from being Hollow?"

She walked over and took his armored gloved hand. "Come."

She set him down, leaning against the freshly cut tree stump. He did nothing as she unbuckled his helm and lifted it off his head, revealing his kind, yet always sad, face. His skin looked so fair and normal, the only sign that he was undead was the Hollow Mark on his neck.

She placed her blood covered wrist to his lips. "Drink."

Still hesitant, as if ashamed, he finally did. Slowly, he put his lips there, brushing her wrist, smearing the blood. Then his tongue slithered out and licked it, tasting. Feeling its power, running down his throat and touching every nerve, Oscar lost control

He took her wrist, put his mouth over it, suckling it like a baby. Ciri gasped softly at the action, but did not mind as she watched him, her other hand petting his head, rustling his hair.

Then he let go and she saw he had drinking every last drop on her wrist. She took his head in her hands, and brought her face to his, her lips to his, blood still flowing out of the wound.

"Now drink this."

And he did. Clasped his lips on her and sucked hard, devouring her blood like a vampire. And Ciri reveled in it. She felt his arms wrapped around her slim frame, refusing to let go, felt the coolness of his flesh touching her own warm skin.

Then he suddenly pulled away, realizing what he was doing. She saw him staring at her wide eye with horror at how he had lost control, how he might've kept on sucking her till she was dead had he not regain his senses.

"Ciri…" he cried. "I'm sorry. Forgive me please-"

She shushed him. "It's okay." And this time brought her lips to his.

They shared a long passionate kiss.

…

The sun was setting now.

They had kept blankets in their horses' saddle bags, and that is what they used now to cover their naked forms as they rested against the tree stomp, watching the sun fall behind a far off mountain.

His armor and her cloths lay to the side, but they kept their swords near.

Ciri was nestled against his chest, in his loving arms, as she stared at the beautiful scene around them.

"I wish this could last forever."

Oscar looked like he was about to say something but then he looked up. "Someone's coming."

Ciri heard it too, and within a blink, she stood to her feet, naked, holing her sword. Oscar did the same.

Both ready for whatever it was. Or so they thought.

Geralt on his horse came bursting through the trees, up to the top of the mountain, and saw them.

"Father?!" Ciri cried in surprised.

"Ciri?!" Geralt cried in surprise, staring at her, then averted his eyes.

Cir suddenly remembered she had no clothes on. She covered herself with the blanket.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she approached him.

"I could ask the same thing." Said Geralt, glaring, not at her though, behind her.

She turned around and saw Oscar was standing just there, making no attempt to cover himself. When you're undead, modesty does not seem as important. "Oscar, please put some clothes on."

Oscar bowed, "As you wish," and set about doing that.

Ciri look back to her father. "What do you want Geralt?"

Geralt could almost feel the rage coming off of her. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe Ciri. That's all."

She clearly did not believe him. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine. So will you please go?"

She saw that her father had that look on when he had to do something he did not want to. "We'll talk later."

He rode away. Leaving the two alone again.


	3. Chapter 3

Ciri waited at the library window, staring across the keep as the moon shined down on it. Geralt entered in. He faced her, she faced him.

"Ciri."

"Father."

"Where's…Oscar." He said the name like it was a curse.

"He's on guard duty on top of the tower."

Geralt nodded. "Uh-huh." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Listen, about today…I'm sorry."

Ciri shrugged. "Oh don't be. I always knew the day would come when you'd walk in on me while I'm with someone."

Geralt couldn't help but grin. "Yeah." But then got serious again. "Only this time it was _something_."

She folded her arms. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, Ciri, that I'm not...comfortable with you and him." Geralt couldn't believe he just said that. Him, a witcher, uncomfortable about something like this.

"And why not?" she demanded.

"Because…" Geralt sighed, he knew it was high time he told her why. "You're a young woman. You've got your whole life ahead of you. What's more you're strong, brave, smarter than even me, but most of all, you're the most caring person I've ever met. Honestly, no father is more proud of their child than I am."

Ciri's anger dropped a little, she had not expected those words, and she hardly ever saw this softer side of Geralt, the dark and brooding the witcher as cold and hard as his silver sword. "Where are you going with this?"

"Ciri, look. I know your life, a life of a witcher, is a lonely one. I know this better than anyone else. And I know we all need someone to love and someone to love us back. But Oscar, he's different."

"How is he different than you or I?"

"Because, what do you think is going to happen fifty years down the line? I'll will most likely be dead, you'll be…older, and Oscar, he'll be the same as he is now. You'll change, but he never will. And what will happen once you're gone, what then? Will he then drink from the blood of your children, you children's children?"

Ciri did not talk back, did not tell him he was wrong. Did not even look at him. She knew he was right, she had never thought about that, what things would be like once she grew old, what would happen to her, to Oscar.

"So, what are you saying I should do father?"

She looked at him and he the how hurt and pain in her eyes, but she would not cry, she was too strong for that. He sighed again, being a father was the most difficult thing he has ever done

"Honestly, I don't know sweetheart. I only know this cannot go on forever. And the longer it does go on, the harder it will be for you, and probably him as well."

Her head was downcast, her body slumped and she looked like she might fall over. Without hesitation, Geralt went over and hugged her, lovingly. She buried her face into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ciri." He told her. "It's be okay." He knew that wasn't true, but hell, what was he supposed to say?

"Alright,' she said and looked up at the scarred face of the one man she trusted more than anyone else. "Just, let me be the one to tell him."

He smiled warmly. "Of course."

He let her go and watched her walk out. A second later, he heard an approving sigh from a dark corner of the room.

"Well, you handled that a lot better than I thought you would." Yennefer walked out of the shadows and smiled at him. "Who would've thought that Geralt of Rivera would be such a good father."

He glared. "Have you been there the whole time?"

Her smile widen, showing her perfect white teeth. "Yes." She swayed her hips, seductively. "What are you going to do about it?"

He smiled, more mischievously this time. "I can think of a few things."

…

He stood there, sword in both hands, his shield strapped behind him, gazing from the tower, down at the keep, at the mountain, the hills and forest, the dark sky with the pale moon. It was all so beautiful, like the first time he came to this world.

The first time he meet her.

He thought it was the end for him, to die alone in that asylum, his quest to be the chosen undead a complete failure, his fate sealed and doomed, when a voice came to him.

He did not know who the voice was, perhaps a spirit, a god, or a demon, he only knew what it told him, that he could be saved from his fate, saved from being a Hollow forever.

The voice told him that if he accepted, then he would be taken to another plain of existence where he must drink the Elder Blood, drink a little and it will stay his turning, drink all of it, and it will bring him back to life.

Believing he had no choice, that this was better than a fate of eternal madness, Oscar of Astora agreed.

He was teleported from his world and placed into this one, inside a forest, before a bonfire. The voice told him to wait here at the fire and the first person who he met would be the one who carried the Elder's Blood.

So Oscar sat there, waiting, waiting for the one who carried the Elder Blood to come so that he may drink it. But when that person came, when Oscar saw her in the firelight, he could do nothing but offer her a pace by the bonfire for warmth.

He talked to her, learned who she was and realize he could never do anything to harm her. Yet he needed her blood. He asked if her could accompany her and became her companion, her friend and protector, never believing she could ever come to love him as he loved her.

But she did.

Even when he told her the truth and, that he was here because her needed her blood to save himself. She loved him.

And this is why, as he stood there on the tower, he knew he must do what he must.

He heard a sound behind him, and recognized her soft footsteps.

"Hey," she said.

He turned to face her, staring at her loveliness, but also saw how troubled she was. "Cirilla." He always called her by her full name.

She stepped closer to him, her arms folded tightly, maybe she was cold, or maybe what she came to say was hard for her. "There's something I need to say-"

He held up a hand to silence her. "That' alright. For I have something I must say." Even with the helm on, nothing could hid the sadness he bore, yet he spoke with full dignity of a knight. "I'm leaving."

"What?" she gasped wide eye.

"I am leaving," the man in steel replied.

Ciri stood there, frozen. "But why?"

"Because I must."

"Is-is this about my father, or is it-"

"No," he replied. "I am not leaving because of that."

Ciri was now confused. "Then why must you go."

Oscar stared at her and she at him, the only sound was the wind of the night.

"Because I love you."

No words came from Ciri's open mouth. After all their time together, they had never used that word, perhaps they were just too afraid to. But now he said, he declared it, right here to her.

She found her voice again. "If you love me, then why must you go?

A heavy sigh hisses out the air holes of his helm. He reaches up and pulls the helm off so that he could see her clearly and her him as he spoke.

"Because, when I first came here, I did so with the full intention to drink your blood and to save myself. But when I saw you, I couldn't. Yet I joined you and followed you wherever you went, simply because I didn't know what else to do, and as I did I could feel my feelings for you grow stronger each day, while my body began to turn and I was forced to tell you the truth. And to my surprise, you gave your blood and promise to always do so as long as I needed it. And for that, I pledged to always serve you and be by your side."

"But then, something happened, something I never dreamed was possible. You loved me too, despite what I was. You made me the happiest person in the whole cursed world"

Ciri said nothing just listened to the knight's words.

"But now…now I realize that this cannot go on, that I must go, though I wish I could stay by your side forever."

"And where will you go?" she asked.

A sad smile appeared on his lips. "Home."

"And what about your Hollowing? You will turn without my blood."

"No, I won't." he declared it so confident and assuredly. "Because I now have a reason not to turn, to stay alive forever. Your love. No matter what happens to me, my memory of you will always keep me safe."

Ciri couldn't help it anymore. She rushed to him, into his arms. They embraced there, on top of the tower, for what felt like eternity.

"Oscar," she said in his arms, struggling to not shed a tear. "I love you too. But I don't want you to go"

He smiled down at her, while his one hand reached within his armor and pulled out a black crystal, the crystal that the voice gave to him.

He then brought her face up so he could look at her, eye to eye. "I will always be with you."

They kissed, eyes closed.

He broke the crystal in his strong hand, and the magic from it began to spread over his body.

Ciri gasped as she saw the magic glowing from him, then saw he was beginning to disappear, to fade away, returning to his world.

"Oscar!" she cried.

He touched her cheek as he gazed upon her one last time. "Now and always."

And he was gone, vanished into the air, and Ciri was all alone.

She stood there, quietly. Then she looked up to the sky, at the stars and other worlds, wondering if Oscar was on one of them right now, looking down at her world. She liked to think he was. And in a way, it made her feel like h was still there, watching over her like he said, like they were still together.

She smiled. "Now and Always."

THE END


End file.
